Physician-Led Healthcare Reform

"Ken Terry has produced a tour de force analysis of the current state of American health care. In a world filled with ""alternative facts,"" Ken's encyclopedic reliance on research evidence, instructive interviews, and clear writing makes for compelling reading, whether or not you agree with his prescriptions for reform. An essential resource. Robert Berenson, MD, Institute Fellow, Urban Institute Mr. Terry has again dissected the health care industry and all of its faults with an eye toward finding solutions rather than merely pointing out defects. This is a timely book which should be required reading for any public figure who wants to talk intelligently about real-life situations and practical solutions to the most problematic social issue facing our political structure today. A. Michael La Penna, Principal, The La Penna Group, Inc. Ken Terry's book, Physician-Led Healthcare Reform: A New Approach to Medicare for All, offers an encyclopedia of knowledge on the U.S. healthcare system, written in an engaging, popular style. Up-to-date as of 2020, the information will be timely for years to come. Tom Bodenheimer, MD, MPH, Founding Director of the Center for Excellence in Primary Care Every country on the planet struggles to control their healthcare costs. Nowhere else is this struggle so palpable nor the consequences of inaction so clear as in America. Healthcare rationing occurs in some form in every wealthy country; however, in those countries rationing takes the form of limiting low value care that hasn't been demonstrated to improve the health of its population. On the other hand, in America, where over 30% of the care we provide is low value care, we instead ration care by leaving 44 million Americans uninsured and taxing those with insurance through high premiums and high out-of-pocket costs. Set against this backdrop is Ken Terry's comprehensive treatise on Medicare for All (MFA). The solution to our healthcare crisis lies in the elimination of low value care and redirection of those resources towards improved health outcomes and reduced cost of care. Ken elegantly outlines the potential of a single-payor model to achieve these goals. He applies his quarter century of health economic experience to help readers understand this complex calculus, including the political, economic, and societal changes that would occur as a result of this change. He also analyzes current care models within the U.S. that align with MFA and would therefore contribute to its success. The unanswered question is at what point the financial pain of the average American will create enough influence to counterbalance the lobbying forces of big pharma, hospitals, physician groups, and insurance companies to tip the scale in favor of a sustainable healthcare model. Ken Cohen MD, CMO, FACP, Chief Medical Officer at New West Physicians and Senior Medical Director OptumCare"